Carriage-curtain fastener



(m Mel) A. G. SNELL.

CARRIAGE CURTAIN PASTE NEE.

No. 393,592. Patented Nov; '27, 1888.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ADOLPHUS Cr. SNELL, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

CARRIAGE-CURTAIN FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 393,592, dated November 27, 1888.

Application filed July 2, recs. Serial No. 278.348. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, itmay concern.-

Be it known that I, ADOLPI-IUS G. SNELL, of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Carriage-Curtain Fasteners; and I do hereby declare the following when taken in connection with accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1,a side view of the fastener complete; Fig. 2, an outer end view of the same; Fig. 3, a section through the fastener on the longer diameter; Fig. 4, a section through the shorter diameter, or at right angles to that of Fig. 3; Fig. 5, alongitudinal section through the stud detached; Fig. 6, a face view of the stud detached; Fig. 7, a side view of the button detached; Fig. 8, an under side or face view of the button detached; Fig. 9. an outer side view of the base detached; Fig. 10, the fastener as attached toa rounded surface for which the peculiar construction of the base adapts it.

This invention relates to an improvement in device for securing the curtains of carriages, and particularly to that class in which the fastening device consists of a stationary stud of elliptical shape with a turn-button of corresponding shape on the outer end of the stud, over which an elongated hole in the curtain may be set onto the stud, and then the button turned across the hole in the curtain to secure the curtain. At numerous points in the can riage these turn-buttons are necessarily arranged upon the iron rails on the carriage or to metal carriage bows, which presentarounded or convex surface. In the usual construction of these fasteners the bottom of the stud is necessarily flat, hence cannot fit solidly upon such rounded surface, but leaves an unsightly open space between the stud and the rounded surface. The turn-button, which is arranged upon a pivot in the stud in the particular class of buttons to which my invention relates, is provided with a spring,which permits a certain amount of movement in an axial direction, and the face ofthe stud upon which the turn-button works is provided with notches or grooves, and the adjacent face of the turn-button is constructed with a corresponding rib,

which rubs upon the face of the stud as the button is rotated. The said rib on the button and notches or grooves in the face of the stud coincide when the button is at the two positions for applying and for holding the curtain. The stud is usually japanned or coated. The rib of the button extends the whole length of its face, and consequently rubs the whole surface of the face of the stud,the result of which is, however perfectly the stud may be japanned or coated,the rubbing of the rib on the stud so: 11 removes the coating and exposes the metal, and that metal being iron soon rusts, and so as to present an unsightly appearance and frequently to interfere with the proper work ing of the button.

The object of my invention is to overcome these difficulties; and it consists in the construction as hereinafter described, and particularly recited in the claims.

A represents the stud, which is of elliptical shape; B, the turn-button, which is of corre' sponding shape. The stud is constructed with a central opening, a, through its top, the open ingenlargcd below to form a spring-chamber,b. (See Fig. 5.) The button B is constructed with acentral spindle,d, corresponding to the opening a, and so as to extend through that opening a, as seen in Fig. 3, to form a pivot upon which the button may turn. Around the spindle d of the button a spring, 0, is placed,whieh takes a bearing upon the outer end of the chamber b, and then the collarfis made fast to, the inner end of the spindle d to bear upon the other end of the spring. The tendency of the spring, therefore, is to yieldingly hold the button down upon the stud. The upper surface of the stud is constructed with radial notches or grooves 9 across the shorter diameter and with similar grooves. it, across the longer diameter. (See Fig. 6.) The under face of the button B (see Fig. 8). is constructed with one or more short ribs, t, projecting radially from the spindle, and which are adapted to enter the grooves g or k, accordingly as the button is turned to the open or closed position, as indicated in Fig. 2, the open position being seen in full lines and the closed position in broken lines.

In the usual construction, as I have before described, the ribs or projections i on the face of the button have extended the full length of the longer diameter of the button. Consequently those projections work over the entire surface of the stud with the result before mentioned; but to avoid the defacing of the end of the stud I make the projections i t in the direction ofthe longer diameter, but of a length less or no greater than the shorter diameter, as clearly seen in Fig. 8; hence the ribs 6 i work within a plane always covered by the button. As the button is turned from one position to the other, the ribs ride out of their respective grooves, and thereby throw the face of the button away from rubbing con tact with the face of the stud and hold it in that condition until the same or other grooves register with the ribs or projections 11 Then the spring of the button causes the projections 2' 'i to enter the grooves with which they register, so as to secure the button in that position.

To prevent the end portions of the button from striking upon the surface of the stud as the ribs enter the grooves, and which striking would soon destroy the japan on the face of the stud, I make an offset in the under side of the button at each end, as at a, (see Figs. 1, 7, and 8,) which, when the button is in its place of rest, leaves an open space between the end portions of the button and the adjacent face of the stud, as clearly seen in Fig. l.

The operation of the ribs and grooves so far as they are broadly considered is the same as in the usual construction, this part of my invention consisting in making the projections i 2' of a combined length, less or no greater than the shorter diameter of the stud. To adaptthe attach ment of the button to a rounded surface, I construct a base, 0, separate from the stud A, presenting any suitable design of external shape, and upon its under face made concave in transverse section, as seen in Fig. 4-. This base is provided with a shank, D, projecting from it in an axial direction, firmly attached to or made a part of the base. To unite the base to the stud, I cast the stud with rivets lprojecting from its under side, (see Fig. 5,) and I construct the base with holes at through it corresponding to the rivets Z, as seen in Fig.- 8. The stud is set upon the base, the rivets extending through the holes at in the base. The projecting ends of the rivets closed down upon the under side of the base, as-seen in Fig, 3, firmly unite the base and stud, so that they become practically one.

In Fig. 10 E represents a section of a carriage-rail, or may bca bow of a carriage.-. The concavity of the base 0 corresponds substantially to the convexity of the rail or bow E, and so that applied thereto, as seen in FigflO, the base closely fits the surface of the bow and gives a neat and finished appearance to the curtain fastener. The rail or bow is first drilled for the introduction of the shank D, and the. shank may be provided with a nut upon the inside or riveted onto the roll, as may be desirable.

It will be understood that the stud A and the base Gare made of cast metal, and that in order to a cheap construction the spring-chamber must be formed in casting, a result which could notbe attained if the base were cast as an integral part of the stud with the concave under surface which I have described.

1. A carriage-curtain fastener consisting of a stud, A of elliptical shapc,constrncted with a spring-chamber, I), combined with a turnbutton, B, the spindle ofwhich extends through a central opening in the face of the stud into said chamber, a spring, E, around said stud within said chamber, the tendency of which is to yieldingly hold the button upon the stud, the face of the stud constructed with radial recesses 9 71 81) right angles to each other, and the face of the button constructed with radial projections of less length than the shorter diameter of the face of the stud, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A carriage-curtain fastener consisting of astud, A, of elliptical shape, constructed with a spring-chamber, b, combined with a turnbutton, B, the spindle ofwhich extends through a central opening in the face of the stud into said chamber, a spring, 19, around said stud in said chamber, the tendency of which is to yicldingly hold the button upon the stud, the face of the stud constructed with radial recesses g h at right angles to each other, and the face of the button constructed with radial projections i i, and with offsets m :r in the face at each end of thebntton, so as to leave a space between the ends of the button and the face of the stud, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination of the cllipticatshaped stud A,correspondingly-shaped button B, pivotcd to the face of said stud and so as to rotate thereon, the said stud constructed with rivets Z projecting from its under side, the base 0, constructed with holes at corresponding to said rivets Z, and by which said rivets and holes the said base is secured to said stud, the said base constructed upon its under face of concave shape in transverse section, and also constructed with a central shank, D, substantially as and for the purpose described.

ADOLPI-IUS G. SNELL. \Vitnesses:

FRED O. EARLE, J. H. SIIUMWAY.

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